


Supposed to Be

by LePetitComte



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, The Golden Trio Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-27
Updated: 2016-08-27
Packaged: 2018-08-11 09:39:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7886092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LePetitComte/pseuds/LePetitComte
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Seamus Finnigan never really cared that much about finding his soulmate. After all, who needs a soulmate when you have a best friend?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Supposed to Be

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the dialogue prompt: “You know we’re suppose[d] to be together. I knew it the first time I saw you, and you know it, too. I know you do.”
> 
> [ Read it on Tumblr ](http://lepetitcomte.tumblr.com/post/149554018277/deamus-anon-here-you-know-were-supposed-to-be)

Soulmate tattoos were a funny thing. They told you the name of your soulmate, but they only actually appeared once you kissed them. Some people took this to the extreme, kissing strangers and everyone else they met on the off chance that they were the one. Others took a more conservative approach, figuring you had to at least like the person you’re kissing for them to be your soulmate, so you might as well just let things progress naturally.

Seamus fell into the second camp. The idea of kissing strangers didn’t much appeal to him. Plus, he didn’t mind being single as long as he had Dean. Dean Thomas was his best friend and had been ever since they first arrived at Hogwarts, long before the idea of even looking for their soulmates crossed their young minds. At eleven, there are more important things to worry about, like what house you’re going to be sorted into or how many Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans you can fit in your mouth (both he and Dean were put in Gryffindor and the number of beans for each of them was about 50-60 depending on the day).

The thought of soulmates didn’t even cross Seamus’ mind until fourth year, when Lavender Brown asked him to the Yule Ball and she made him kiss her before the night was over “just to check.” Seamus wasn’t surprised when Lavender’s name didn’t appear on his wrist, and Lavender didn’t seem too disappointed either. After that, it didn’t really come up again. At least until the end of fifth year, when Dean started dating Ginny Weasley.

Ginny was a year younger then them, and the sister of one of their classmates, Ron Wealsey. They started dating only a few days before the end of the semester, and didn’t seal the deal before they went home for the summer, so Seamus was subjected to months of Dean wondering if his new girlfriend was actually his soulmate. Seamus found it rather annoying, but he didn’t tell Dean that. He knew he was supposed to feel happy or at least excited for his best friend, but for whatever reason he couldn’t quite manage it.

It was two weeks into sixth year when Dean came up to the dorm room after a date with Ginny and collapsed onto Seamus’ bed.

“How’d the date go?” Seamus asked.

“Ginny isn’t my soulmate,” Dean replied. Seamus felt his stomach flip but decided to ignore it.

“Oh yeah?” he said, as casually as he could muster. “Yeh know that for sure?”

“Yeah, we kissed. Nothing happened.”

Seamus felt like his excitement was probably inappropriate. It wasn’t like Dean had been ignoring him the past few weeks, but he was glad he would no longer have to share Dean’s attention with Ginny.

“So I guess that means yeh’ve broken up then?”

“Actually, we were thinking of staying together for a while.”

Seamus blinked. “Wait, what? Why?”

Dean rolled over onto his side. “We enjoy each other’s company,” he said with a half shrug, picking at Seamus’ blanket. “Plus we both have a suspicion of who our soulmates actually are, and we’re… just not quite ready for that yet.”

“But yeh were so excited over the possibility of Ginny being yehr soulmate! Why do yeh suddenly want to wait?”

“Some things are worth waiting for,” Dean said cryptically, and Seamus didn’t understand, but he felt like he was understanding Dean less and less these days.

*****

Eventually, Dean and Ginny did break up. It was a matter of weeks before Ginny kissed Harry Potter in the middle of the common room after leading the Gryffindor team to victory in the race for the Quidditch House Cup, and soulmate tattoos appeared on both of them. Dean tried to act like it didn’t bother him, but Seamus could tell that it did.

“I thought yeh were over Ginny,” Seamus said, lying on Dean’s bed next to his friend.

“I am.”

“Then why are yeh so upset she found Harry?”

“I’m not!” Dean protested, but even in his protest he sounded upset. Seamus turned his head and raised an eyebrow at Dean. Dean saw and tried to ignore it. “I just… I thought…” Dean looked at Seamus. “Seamus, why don’t you have any interest in finding your soulmate?”

The question caught Seamus off guard. He wasn’t sure what exactly that had to do with their previous conversation. “Who says I don’t have any interest?”

“Well, you. You’ve never done anything to look for them.”

“I kissed Lavender fourth year.”

“Lavender kissed you fourth year,” Dean corrected. “Do you… do you already know who they are?” He sounded almost hopeful. But his question didn’t make sense.

“My wrist is blank, innit?” Seamus said, pulling back the wrist of his robes. “How would I know who my soulmate is if I’ve only kissed Lavender Brown?”

“I just mean… do you have a theory?” Dean said quietly, looking up at the ceiling. “Someone you want it to be?”

Seamus had never even thought about that. It seemed a silly thing to wonder; he was happy the way things were. He had Dean. What use was a soulmate to him?

“I… no?” he confessed. He looked at Dean. It didn’t seem to be the answer Dean wanted to hear.

“Whatever, it was a stupid question,” he muttered.

*****

They didn’t talk about soulmates again and things went back to normal. That is, until the Ministry fell under Death Eater control. Dean was staying with Seamus when it happened – they had been bouncing back and forth between their respective houses all summer – and Mrs. Finnigan had immediately insisted that Dean go home to his family. Dean didn’t protest, and it wasn’t until they were contacted by Mrs. Thomas a few days later, asking after her son, that they realized that Dean never returned home. They panicked. Mrs. Finnigan did her best to find information, but they had no idea if Dean had been taken in or had disappeared of his own volition. It was when Seamus was packing up his school supplies for the new year, that a letter from Dean fell out of his robes, explaining that he was going on the run. He sent the letter on to Mrs. Thomas, but there was a pit of worry in his stomach that Seamus couldn’t make go away.

Hogwarts hadn’t faired much better than the Ministry. Death Eaters were there too. Snape was the new headmaster and he had brought in a brother-sister duo of dark wizards to teach two of the classes. The Carrows were vicious and delighted in finding new and interesting ways of torturing the students, or better yet, getting them to torture each other. Seamus refused to play their games and by the time he was sent home for Christmas, his own mother hardly recognized him.

Over the break, he fought with her over whether he should go back. She wanted to keep him home, to keep him safe, but he knew if he didn’t return, the Carrows and Snape would find some way to take it out on his family. Seamus wouldn’t stand for that.

He ended up having to steal away in the middle of the night with his school supplies to catch the Hogwarts Express the next day. His mother sent him a Howler for it, but he knew it was worth it.

The hardest part of that year wasn’t the Carrows though. It wasn’t the torture or the atmosphere of fear they cultivated, it wasn’t wondering if every letter he got from home was going to be the last, or listening to Lee Jordan’s show on a smuggled radio, wondering if the next name he said was going to be someone he knew; it was doing it all without Dean.

Seamus knew it was stupid. Dean not being there should be the least of his worries. But he couldn’t help thinking that the horror that had become his day to day life would be more manageable if he had his best friend beside him.

When Lee said Dean’s name on the radio, everything in Seamus ground to a halt. His heart wasn’t pumping, his blood wasn’t moving, his brain wasn’t working.

“It is believed that Muggleborn Dean Thomas and a second goblin, both believed to have been traveling with Tonks, Cresswell, and Gornuk, may have escaped. If Dean is listening, or if anyone has any knowledge of his whereabouts, his parents and sisters are desperate for news…”

Ginny had a sympathetic hand on his shoulder, but Seamus hardly felt it. The other Gryffindors huddled around the radio, listening to Lee go on about muggle deaths and something about Bathilda Bagshot, but Seamus couldn’t listen, he couldn’t sit still anymore. He paced around the common room, but it was too small, too cramped, the walls were closing in on him, He needed out.

He had just gotten to the door when Ginny cut him off.

“You can’t go out, Seamus,” she said. “Not when you’re like this.” Seamus tried to push her out of the way, but she was stronger than she looked. Bloody Quidditch players.

“Ginny, I can’t–”

“I know. Just… why don’t you sit with me a while?”

Seamus let her guide him over to a pair of chairs in the corner where they were out of hearing range of the other students.

“I know you’re worried about him,” Ginny said quietly, taking Seamus hands. She must have felt how they were shaking, but she thankfully didn’t say anything.

“Tonks and Cresswell and that goblin are dead. The Snatchers got them. If Dean was with them–”

“I know,” said Ginny. “But Dean is smart, he’s resourceful. They said he probably escaped.”

“But what if he didn’t?!” Seamus’ voice was edging on hysterical and he knew it, but what he didn’t know was how to rein it in. “What if they have him somewhere, what if they’re–”

“Dean can take it,” Ginny assured him. Or, tried to assure him. Seamus didn’t feel very assured. “Whatever they throw at him, he can survive. Look at us!” she gestured at the other students that had finally stopped listening to the radio and dispersed around the room. “We’re surviving. And Dean is just as strong as any of us.”

“I just want to know he’s okay,” Seamus said sadly. Ginny patted his hand.

“I know. I feel the same way about Harry.”

Of course. Harry. Seamus could have kicked himself for being so insensitive. Harry was Ginny’s soulmate and he was out there, in even more danger than Dean.

“I’m sorry. I forgot… of course you’re worried about Harry. And here I am, babbling about–”

“You’re just as worried about Dean. You love him, I know that.”

“But Harry’s your soulmate.”

“And you don’t think Dean’s yours?”

Ginny’s words struck at Seamus’ very core. “What?”

“Sorry, that was out of line,” Ginny said, shaking her head. Seamus just stared at her. “You should get some rest, Seamus,” she continued kindly. “You look tired.”

She got up and left. Seamus just sat there, her words repeating over and over again in his head. And you don’t think Dean’s yours?

*****

Seamus thought a lot about what Ginny said; probably more than he needed to. Because he knew almost immediately that she was right. Dean was his soulmate. It was the only thing that made sense.

Seamus had never had feelings for anyone that compared to what he felt for Dean. The kinship between them had been immediate and nothing had ever really come in the way of that. He thought back on the conversations he and Dean had had on the matter. Did Dean know? Did he feel the same way? Seamus wanted to say yes, but he wasn’t sure if that was because it was true or if he just wanted it to be true.

He kept up with activities involving Dumbledore’s Army. Vandalizing when they could, doing their best to speak out against the Carrows and give the other students some semblance of hope.

Ginny didn’t return to school after Easter break. That meant that of the original trio of Dumbledore’s Army leaders – Ginny, Luna, and Neville – only Neville remained. He started putting more risk on his shoulders, making up for the absence of the other two and Seamus tried to stop him – he was making a target of himself – but Neville didn’t listen. Not even after they targeted his Gran.

Neville’s grandmother escaped the Death Eater that was sent after her, but after that, Neville decided it was best if he disappeared. So he did. Seamus wasn’t quite sure how he did it, until a few days later when Neville snuck back up to their dorm room and told Seamus he had been hiding out in the Room of Requirement. Neville tried to convince Seamus to come with him, but Seamus refused. At least at first. With Neville gone, Dumbledore’s Army was starting to flounder and Seamus felt he couldn’t leave them. He staged a few more protests of the Carrows to boost moral, then disappeared with Neville.

Soon, more people began to join them. Lavender Brown. The Patil twins. Terry Boot. Ernie Macmillan and others. The Room of Requirement was more than accommodating. They had to get food through a passage to the Hog’s Head from Dumbledore’s brother, Aberforth, but other than that the Room provided them with everything they needed.

They kept up with Potterwatch. There were rumors that Harry Potter had broken into Gringotts and though Seamus couldn’t figure out why, it gave him hope. There was someone, somewhere, fighting back against You-Know-Who. It made him feel like their little resistance within the school was a part of something bigger.

Then, Harry, Hermione, and Ron all showed up at the school on the first of May and Seamus knew they were a part of something bigger. Harry said that he and the other two were on a mission from Dumbledore, a mission that they had to complete alone, and if that wasn’t the biggest load of hogwash Seamus had ever heard he didn’t know what was. Neville was arguing with Harry about it and Seamus was about to chime in, when the passage behind them opened up again.

“We got your message, Neville! Hello, you three, I thought you must be here!”

It was Luna and Dean. Seamus gave a great roar of delight and ran to hug his best friend.

Dean’s arms enveloped him immediately, and Seamus hadn’t felt this at home since that terrible summer’s day that Dean left. He held on as tight as he could, almost as if afraid Dean was a mirage and he would slip away from him again if he let go even a little.

“I missed you,” Dean whispered in his ear.

I love you, Seamus almost said back. But the others were talking again, and Dean released Seamus so they both could listen to the conversation.

Seamus didn’t let go of Dean’s hand.

Neville and Luna were talking about overthrowing Snape and the Carrows and Seamus fiercely agreed. But Harry still seemed preoccupied by his other, secret mission.

Before they knew it, more people were arriving. Ginny, and Fred, and George, and Lee, followed by Cho Chang.

“So what’s the plan, Harry?” said George.

“There isn’t one,” said Harry.

“Just going to make it up as we go along, are we? My favorite kind,” said Fred.

“You’ve got to stop this!” Harry exclaimed, turning to Neville. “What did you call them all back for? This is insane—”

“We’re fighting aren’t we?” Seamus turned to look up at Dean who had spoken. He was holding out his fake Dumbledore’s Army Galleon. “The message said Harry was back, and we were going to fight! I’ll have to get a wand, though—”

Seamus was horrified. “You haven’t got a wand—?”

Dean looked back at Seamus sheepishly.

“Why can’t they help?” Ron Weasley and saying, and Seamus forced himself to pay attention. Harry, Ron and Hermione all conspired quietly before speaking to the larger group again. They were looking for an object belonging to Ravenclaw, so of course the attention shifted to Luna and Cho and the other Ravenclaws in the room.

After it was determined they were looking for some sort of diadem, Neville led Harry and Luna out of the Room of Requirement.

After the two of them left, Neville turned back to the rest of the room.

“Now what?” Seamus asked. Everyone around him started muttering, wondering the same thing.

“I guess we wait,” Neville said with a shrug. Seamus and a few of the others nodded solemnly. They had gotten used to waiting.

“Seamus, I need to talk to you,” Dean said. Seamus turned back to his best friend.

“Right. Of course.” There was so much to say. Seamus looked around and pulled Dean into a fairly empty corner of the room. He stood facing Dean, their hands still connected between them.

“God what happened to you?” Dean said, bringing his free hand up to Seamus’ face. Seamus winced from the pain of contact and Dean withdrew immediately.

“Yeh should see the other guy,” Seamus joked, but Dean didn’t laugh. “Actually, the other guy is fine. Yeh don’t really fight back against the Carrows. Not directly, anyways,” he added with a rebellious wink.

“I should have been here.”

“Yeh couldn’t, Dean, and yeh know it. They wouldn’t have let yeh on the train.”

Dean squeezed Seamus’ hand. “I was a coward. I ran.”

“Now don’t yeh dare!” Seamus exclaimed. “I know yeh don’t even believe that. Leaving yehr family, leaving everything like that; that’s not an easy thing Dean.”

Dean closed his eyes. “That wasn’t what I wanted to talk about.”

Seamus took Dean’s other hand. “Tell me.”

“I… I had a lot of time to think. When I was on the run. A lot of nights alone before I met up with Ted and the others, and a lot of nights after when I was in Malfoy’s basement–”

“Yeh were in Malfoy’s basement?”

“Not now, Seamus.”

“Right.”

“I,” Dean said, biting his lip. “I focused a lot on regret. Sometimes regret for things that were beyond my control. Regret over not knowing my father. Over not returning to Hogwarts.” Dean looked down at their joined hands. “But most of all I regretted the things I could control. I regretted you.”

Dean must have seen Seamus’ face fall because he immediately backtracked. “No! Not like that! God, not like that, just… the way I handled things with you.”

“What do yeh mean?” Seamus asked.

“I was waiting, and I kept waiting and then it was too late,” Dean said, squeezing both of Seamus’ hands. He took a deep breath. “I love you, Seamus.”

The emotion welling up in Seamus’ chest was almost too much for him to take. “Dean, I–”

“You know we’re supposed to be together,” Dean cut off, his voice reaching a desperate crescendo. “I knew it the first time I saw you, and you know it, too. I know you do.”

“Dean,” said Seamus with a laugh. “I do know. Maybe not as soon as you knew, but I know.”

“Really?” Dean said weakly, proving that all his former bravado was just for show. Seamus smiled.

“I can prove it.”

Seamus released one of Dean’s hands and reached up to cup him behind the neck. Dean seemed to understand where this was going, and his body reacted immediately, leaning down to meet Seamus halfway. Their lips met and it was a chaste kiss to be sure, but it was enough.

Seamus felt the skin on his wrist begin to prickle. He broke away so he could look down.

“Well, what do yeh know,” he said lifting up their joined hands so Dean could get a look at his wrist. The name Dean was now emblazoned on it. “Looks like I’ve got a new tattoo.”

Dean smiled and it was a smile Seamus was never going to forget. Dean held up his opposite wrist, and even though the black wasn’t as visible against Dean’s dark skin, the name Seamus could now be seen. “Looks like I’ve got one too.”

Seamus grinned and leaned in to kiss Dean again. He never wanted to stop kissing Dean. But too soon, they were interrupted by Harry and Luna returning from their journey.

“They’re evacuating the younger kids and everyone’s meeting in the Great Hall to get organized,” Harry said. “We’re fighting.”

**Author's Note:**

> [ Come say hi on Tumblr! ](http://lepetitcomte.tumblr.com/)


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